---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I wrote about real people and real…"
description: "\"I wrote about real people and real circumstances and real neighborhoods. There was no crypt or castles or H.P. Lovecraft-type environments. They were j..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg"
---

#  I wrote about real people and real circumstances and real…

![“I wrote about real people and real circumstances and real neighborhoods. There was no crypt or castles or H.P. Lovecraft-type environments. They were just about normal people who had something bizarre happening to them in the neighborhood.” quote by Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg)

> “I wrote about real people and real circumstances and real neighborhoods. There was no crypt or castles or H.P. Lovecraft-type environments. They were just about normal people who had something bizarre happening to them in the neighborhood.”

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The author emphasizes writing grounded, everyday settings with ordinary people experiencing strange events, rejecting fantastical or horror tropes.

**In simple terms:** Focus on realistic settings with odd happenings.

Key Takeaway

Write stories rooted in real life.

Themes

realism everyday life the uncanny urban narrative

Mood

thoughtful intriguing

Type

narrative observational

When to use this quote

- literary fiction
- urban storytelling

Key Concepts

normalcy bizarre events social context

Questions to Reflect On

- How can ordinary settings heighten tension?
- What makes the bizarre feel believable?

A Different Perspective

The approach may limit imaginative world‑building for genre fans.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[About](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/) [Bizarre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bizarre/) [Castles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/castles/) [Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/circumstances/) [Environments](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environments/) [Had](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/had/) [Happening](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happening/) [Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just/) [Neighborhood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhood/) [Neighborhoods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhoods/) [Neighborhoods Crypt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighborhoods-crypt-1953472/) [Normal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal/) [Normal people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/normal-people/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real/) [Real Circumstances](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-circumstances-1953473/) [Real Neighborhoods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-neighborhoods-1953471/) [Real people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/real-people/) [Something](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/something/) [Them](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/them/) [Were](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/were/) [Who](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/who/) [Wrote](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote/) [Wrote Real](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wrote-real-1953470/)

## Related quotes

> [Imagine what our real neighborhoods would be like if each of us offered . . . just one kind word to another person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fred-rogers/imagine-what-our-real-neighborhoods-would-be-like-if-each-of-us/)

[Fred Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fred-rogers/)

> [A year after I'd graduated college, I went to a weeklong conference intensive in Boston, and that's when things kicked into high gear. My…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-hodge/a-year-after-i-d-graduated-college-i-went-to-a-weeklong-conference/)

[Brian Hodge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-hodge/)

> [“his education had had the curious effect of making things that he read and wrote more real to him than things he saw.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/his-education-had-had-the-curious-effect-of-making-things-that-he/)

[C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/)

> [What is clear is that business leaders must commit to champion change - to be transparent about their goals for change, to align their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/what-is-clear-is-that-business-leaders-must-commit-to-champion-change/)

[Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/)

> [Where they come from matters. They're products of particular places and environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-gladwell/where-they-come-from-matters-they-re-products-of-particular-places/)

[Malcolm Gladwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-gladwell/)

> [As we grow up in more technology-enriched environments filled with laptops and smart phones, technology is not just becoming a part of our daily…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adora-svitak/as-we-grow-up-in-more-technology-enriched-environments-filled-with/)

[Adora Svitak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adora-svitak/)

> [What I don't underestimate is everybody's deal is different and everybody's deal makes it difficult. And so it is incumbent upon employers to create…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/beth-brooke/what-i-don-t-underestimate-is-everybody-s-deal-is-different-and/)

[Beth Brooke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/beth-brooke/)

> [You can change environments, but until you change yourself, nothing else will ever change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-thomas/you-can-change-environments-but-until-you-change-yourself-nothing/)

[Eric Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-thomas/)

> [Africans are on the front lines of humanitarian efforts, distributing life-saving aid in dangerous environments. Africans comprise the vast majority of peacekeepers in civil…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-prendergast/africans-are-on-the-front-lines-of-humanitarian-efforts-distributing/)

[John Prendergast](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-prendergast/)

> [Cavorting around fantasy-style environments with a rampaging horde of sycophantic psychos is inherently amusing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/cavorting-around-fantasy-style-environments-with-a-rampaging-horde-of/)

[Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/)

> [“When we speak of living environments and their effects on us, then, we are often speaking too broadly—of the city, the countryside, and so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-wu/when-we-speak-of-living-environments-and-their-effects-on-us-then-we/)

[Tim Wu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-wu/)

> [I'm used to being in creative environments where people throw out a lot of ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tim-armstrong/i-m-used-to-being-in-creative-environments-where-people-throw-out-a/)

[Tim Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tim-armstrong/)

> [I became a writer in spite of my environments.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-e-howard/i-became-a-writer-in-spite-of-my-environments/)

[Robert E. Howard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-e-howard/)

> [Some kids win the lottery at birth; far too many don't - and most people have a hard time catching up over the rest…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-heckman/some-kids-win-the-lottery-at-birth-far-too-many-don-t-and-most-people/)

[James Heckman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-heckman/)

> [I went straight from high school to 'Gossip Girl,' and both were very structured, scheduled environments, so I never had freedom to explore and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/blake-lively/i-went-straight-from-high-school-to-gossip-girl-and-both-were-very/)

[Blake Lively](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/blake-lively/)

## More by Richard Matheson

> [God, how impossible life is without money. Nothing can ever overcome it, it's everything when it's anything. How can I write in peace with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/god-how-impossible-life-is-without-money-nothing-can-ever-overcome-it/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [(After death.) So few people who come across, possess awareness of any kind. All they bring along with them are worthless values. All they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/after-death-so-few-people-who-come-across-possess-awareness-of-any/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“He thought about that visionary lady. To die, he thought, never knowing the fierce joy and attendant comfort of a loved one's embrace. To…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/he-thought-about-that-visionary-lady-to-die-he-thought-never-knowing/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“All right, little boy, he tried kidding himself, calm down now. Santa Claus is coming to town with all the nice answers. No longer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/all-right-little-boy-he-tried-kidding-himself-calm-down-now-santa/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [I think we're yearning for something beyond the every day. And I will tell you I don't believe in the supernatural, I believe in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-think-we-re-yearning-for-something-beyond-the-every-day-and-i-will/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [Let the jagged edge of sobriety be now dulled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/let-the-jagged-edge-of-sobriety-be-now-dulled/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“It’s horrible," she said. He looked at her in surprise. Horrible? Wasn’t that odd? He hadn’t thought that for years. For him the word…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/it-s-horrible-she-said-he-looked-at-her-in-surprise-horrible-wasn-t/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [In a world of monotonous horror there could be no salvation in wild dreaming. Horror he had adjusted to. But monotony was the greater…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/in-a-world-of-monotonous-horror-there-could-be-no-salvation-in-wild/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [There we will, I pray, remain and learn and grow until the time when we will rise together to the ultimate heights, changing in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/there-we-will-i-pray-remain-and-learn-and-grow-until-the-time-when-we/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“No, by God, he had no intention of going on like a blind man, plodding down a path of brainless, fruitless existence until old…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/no-by-god-he-had-no-intention-of-going-on-like-a-blind-man-plodding/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [I think What Dreams May Come is the most important (read effective) book I've written. It has caused a number of readers to lose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-think-what-dreams-may-come-is-the-most-important-read-effective/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“I looked at all the people, feeling sorry for them. They were still subordinate to clock and calendar. Absolved of that, I stood becalmed.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-looked-at-all-the-people-feeling-sorry-for-them-they-were-still/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [To get married and have a family, is to grow up and mature. It's the only way. You can read philosophy books for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/to-get-married-and-have-a-family-is-to-grow-up-and-mature-it-s-the/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“The man of my dreams is almost faded now. The one I have created in my mind. The sort of man each woman dreams…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/the-man-of-my-dreams-is-almost-faded-now-the-one-i-have-created-in-my/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

> [“Crossing your fingers, Neville? Knocking on wood? He ignored that, beginning to suspect his mind of harboring an alien. Once he might have termed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/crossing-your-fingers-neville-knocking-on-wood-he-ignored-that/)

[Richard Matheson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

[Explore all 128 Richard Matheson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/)

## More About quotes

> [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/)

[Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/)

> [Joking about violence is not funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/perez-hilton/joking-about-violence-is-not-funny/)

[Perez Hilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/perez-hilton/)

> [I talk to my mates about our kids, being too tired and being worn out.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-willoughby/i-talk-to-my-mates-about-our-kids-being-too-tired-and-being-worn-out/)

[Holly Willoughby](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-willoughby/)

> [With 'Pretty Girls,' I saw the opportunity to talk not just about crime but what crime leaves behind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karin-slaughter/with-pretty-girls-i-saw-the-opportunity-to-talk-not-just-about-crime/)

[Karin Slaughter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karin-slaughter/)

> [I write about presidents. That means I write about guys - so far. I'm interested in the people closest to them, the people they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-kearns-goodwin/i-write-about-presidents-that-means-i-write-about-guys-so-far-i-m/)

[Doris Kearns Goodwin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-kearns-goodwin/)

> [That's something a lot of folks don't know about me - I'm pretty darn funny.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jai-white/that-s-something-a-lot-of-folks-don-t-know-about-me-i-m-pretty-darn/)

[Michael Jai White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jai-white/)

> [I learned a lot about myself at Oakmont.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shane-lowry/i-learned-a-lot-about-myself-at-oakmont/)

[Shane Lowry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shane-lowry/)

> [I don't think about the press or the crowds or the other leaders of the race. The focus is only on myself. As soon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/magdalena-neuner/i-don-t-think-about-the-press-or-the-crowds-or-the-other-leaders-of/)

[Magdalena Neuner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/magdalena-neuner/)

> [Sport is not just about entertainment. It is equally about winning and losing, pooling and galvanising the energy of the youth, upgrading people's physical…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nita-ambani/sport-is-not-just-about-entertainment-it-is-equally-about-winning-and/)

[Nita Ambani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nita-ambani/)

> [One of the ways that I discovered my confidence and my ability to overpower is becoming a mother. Suddenly, my world wasn't about myself…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lights/one-of-the-ways-that-i-discovered-my-confidence-and-my-ability-to/)

[Lights](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lights/)

> [I didn't want to do 'Fashion Police' because I thought, 'This is stupid, this is beneath me, who wants to talk about fashion?' It…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-rivers/i-didn-t-want-to-do-fashion-police-because-i-thought-this-is-stupid/)

[Joan Rivers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-rivers/)

> [I just worried about my weight. Worried about my appearance and thought I wan't pretty enough to be a pop star. It was very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-durham/i-just-worried-about-my-weight-worried-about-my-appearance-and/)

[Judith Durham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-durham/)

> [I read a couple of books about neuroscience and the relationship between the mind and the body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-kinnaman/i-read-a-couple-of-books-about-neuroscience-and-the-relationship/)

[Joel Kinnaman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-kinnaman/)

> [There are a lot of kids out there copying and distributing movies - not because they care about seeing the movies or sharing them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-perry-barlow/there-are-a-lot-of-kids-out-there-copying-and-distributing-movies-not/)

[John Perry Barlow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-perry-barlow/)

> [I have no physical genius about me. I can't dribble a ball and run at the same time, I can't do lay-ups - I'm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rich-mullins/i-have-no-physical-genius-about-me-i-can-t-dribble-a-ball-and-run-at/)

[Rich Mullins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rich-mullins/)

[Browse all 26,122 About quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/about/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I wrote about real people and real circumstances and real neighborhoods. There was no crypt or castles or H.P. Lovecraft-type environments. They were just about normal people who had something bizarre happening to them in the neighborhood.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Richard Matheson"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circumstances-and-real/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "About"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circumstances-and-real/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/23a/richard-matheson-3375_about_i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circu_183218.jpg",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I wrote about real people and real circumstances and real neighborhoods. There was no crypt or castles or…” — Richard Matheson",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Richard Matheson",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-matheson/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I wrote about real people and...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circumstances-and-real/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-matheson/i-wrote-about-real-people-and-real-circumstances-and-real/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
